OUTSIDE LOOKING IN: No way Pacquiao-Mayweather II will happen this year

By Eddie AlineaPhilBoxing.comSat, 22 Sep 2018

Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather II this year? Forget it.

A few days following their chance meeting in Tokyo where both announced their agreement to face each other anew this coming December in a repeat of their 2015 showdown, the Filipino legend and his American undefeated counterpart appeared to have changed their minds.

Pacquiao, early this week, has been quoted by Spin.PH as saying, he first want to have a tune up match before that in December or early next year, before that planned rematch.

Mayweather, who even went into the record, he didn’t need a tune up, to repeat his unanimous decision win over Pacquiao four year ago, is now saying he’s coming back to the Japanese capital looking forward to fighting there, maybe in December, too.

In that Tokyo meeting, Mayweather, announced that he was coming out of yet another retirement and that he and Pacquiao would meet again in December in second serving of their fight that broke every economic record in combat sports, including selling 4.6 million pay-per-view subscriptions.

Pacquiao, who’s now fighting under his own promotional outfit, backed up Mayweather's announcement, but there has been a change of plans. In a video posted on TMZ, the 50-0 win-loss record holder said on Wednesday that he is planning to fight another fight first.

"I know everybody heard about the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight, but before the Mayweather-Pacquiao rematch I will be back in Tokyo for a huge boxing event. Stay tuned," Mayweather, who was wearing a baseball hat with "50-0" on the front to signify the record he retired with after knocking out UFC star Conor McGregor in the 10th round last August in the second-highest-grossing fight of all time, said.

In view of these developments, how then these two, still most popular fighters in earth, face off again before 2018 ends?

Only in the minds of the uninitiated media men, those ignorant of the ins and outs boxing, who keep on bombarding the public with false news that the rematch is on this year.

Fighters, you see, prepare for a bout at least two months. Next week will already be October, or two months before new year. That leaves the ‘Pacman” and the “Money Man” only a fight each in that span. Meaning, if ever they, indeed, meet again for the second time, that encounter should wait for 2019 when Pacquiao would already be 40 and Mayweather 42.

That brings us to another question -- Mayweather-Pacquiao II? We saw it once, what good will it do?

For one, should this push through, they will have to work out a deal without the help of Top Rank chief executive Bob Arum. The veteran promoter, Pacquiao’s and Mayweather’s former promoter, said that he wants nothing to do with the rematch.

"Good luck to them. I don't want anything to do with it," the old man said rather emphatically.

Rather than get involved in a new round of negotiations, Arum said he would much rather focus on "promoting premium fighters that are really in their primes."

"I don't want to get involved with two old men fighting for a payday, because they think the public is going to throw 'em millions of dollars," he said.

"Well, maybe the public will. Good. Good luck to them. I don't want to get involved," Arum stressed.